I've been on a decent Greek yogurt kick lately. Based on food blogs and the Kroger yogurt case, I'm not the only one. I like the honey flavored kind, but hate the idea of paying $1 for 4 ounces of honey "flavor," so I make my own in 4 oz mason jars.
I recently experimented with making my own gel scents in my 4oz mason jars. It's a cool idea where you make a really hard gelatin with a few drops of your favorite essential oil. I tried it with lavender. My first try made a few jars, so I had the leftovers in the fridge, waiting to trade out. Only thing is, they molded over when left out (my second batch doesn't mold). They sat in fridge for ages, the metal lids really absorbing the lavender, until I finally threw them out and washed the jars. The lavender didn't wash out of the lids, though.
You can imagine what accident I'm about to tell you about, right? I made some honey yogurt and used one of the lavender lids. Honey Lavender yogurt. Yes! Big fat stinking culinary win!
Monday, December 19, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
No running today
I ran the Oh Christmas Three point One 5K on Sunday. It was to raise money for the Edgewood High wrestling team. I love a good pun. Running and Christmas, all in one title. Love it.
It was my first race since May. Also, my first time on roads in almost as long. And hills. And I did a 2.5 mile warm-up because I was supposed to run 7 miles that day. My time was as expected, so yay. Also, funny story: I forgot my number in my car, so 30 seconds before the start, I was bolting to and from my car, trying to pin on my bib. But hey, that's funny. All in all, a good day. I pushed myself.
But . . . and you knew there had to be a but . . . my right leg, from the knee down is not pleased. The bottom of my heel hurts, so I've been walking on my toe, which as messed with the rest of my leg. So, rest and foam roller for a few days.
It was my first race since May. Also, my first time on roads in almost as long. And hills. And I did a 2.5 mile warm-up because I was supposed to run 7 miles that day. My time was as expected, so yay. Also, funny story: I forgot my number in my car, so 30 seconds before the start, I was bolting to and from my car, trying to pin on my bib. But hey, that's funny. All in all, a good day. I pushed myself.
But . . . and you knew there had to be a but . . . my right leg, from the knee down is not pleased. The bottom of my heel hurts, so I've been walking on my toe, which as messed with the rest of my leg. So, rest and foam roller for a few days.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Make It Monday: No-Sew Ruffled Christmas Tree Skirt
Oh boy, alliterative, themed titles. Part of me would like to make this a thing. It will keep my somewhat on task and away from an online diary. I will ignore the fact that it’s cheesy. Here’s what I’m thinking:
Make It Monday (What I’ve been making)
Tunes Tuesday (What I’ve been listening to, Running Playlists, etc.
Workout Wednesday (Run)
Thirsty Thursday (Food & Drink)
Frandom Friday (Random)
I missed Monday, but I’ve got something I want to share, so we’re doing it a day late. When Oscar and I went home for Thanksgiving, I helped my sister-in-law, Mandy, make this tree skirt. I liked it so much that I made my own. I didn't want to copy her exactly, so I went with red linen.
I'd like to make a couple of edits to the website's instructions. First, Mandy bought a 4'x6' canvas drop cloth from Lowe's, rather than canvas from a fabric store. You won't miss the six inches and it was only $5. I copied her on that. I skipped the no-fray glue on the canvas, however. I got some strings, but I just pulled them off. About half-way through, I did fold over and glue the edge around the inner circle. I was afraid it was going to rip every time I lifted the skirt. Mandy and I both used a rotary cutter and ruler to make our strips. I don't know if it saved time or was better in any way. I'm sure our strips were more even than if we'd used scissors. Also, looking at the pictures online compared to how mine turned out, I'm pretty sure their strips are wider than two inches. Also, they don't mention how they finish off the center of the skirt. You'll notice that the edges where the strips are glued aren't all that attractive. Plus, the last strip is unlikely to be even. Mine was quite oval compared to the cut in the canvas. I ended up using a four inch strip of fabric. I left a two inch overhang off the top, and glued it so it looked about even. Then I folded the overhang under and glued it to the underside. It's a lovely clean top.
It took forever, by the way. It took me at least three hours (not at once) to cut the fabric. Then three evenings of hot-gluing. Working with a second person cuts the time a lot. Together, Mandy and I got most of her skirt done in one evening. If you were interested enough to invest the time, the finished product is well worth it. Cost is reasonable too. I'm only counting fabric because I had everything else. I had a 40% off coupon to Joann, so the linen was $25. The drop cloth was $5. So, a $30 tree skirt. I wouldn't have paid that much for any skirt I've seen in a store. But I'm pretty sure to buy this skirt made would be over $100. It'd have to be for all the time involved. Actually, $100 would be really cheap. But yeah, I wouldn't have paid for it.
Make It Monday (What I’ve been making)
Tunes Tuesday (What I’ve been listening to, Running Playlists, etc.
Workout Wednesday (Run)
Thirsty Thursday (Food & Drink)
Frandom Friday (Random)
I missed Monday, but I’ve got something I want to share, so we’re doing it a day late. When Oscar and I went home for Thanksgiving, I helped my sister-in-law, Mandy, make this tree skirt. I liked it so much that I made my own. I didn't want to copy her exactly, so I went with red linen.
 |
| It looks like a flamenco dancer's skirt. |
I'd like to make a couple of edits to the website's instructions. First, Mandy bought a 4'x6' canvas drop cloth from Lowe's, rather than canvas from a fabric store. You won't miss the six inches and it was only $5. I copied her on that. I skipped the no-fray glue on the canvas, however. I got some strings, but I just pulled them off. About half-way through, I did fold over and glue the edge around the inner circle. I was afraid it was going to rip every time I lifted the skirt. Mandy and I both used a rotary cutter and ruler to make our strips. I don't know if it saved time or was better in any way. I'm sure our strips were more even than if we'd used scissors. Also, looking at the pictures online compared to how mine turned out, I'm pretty sure their strips are wider than two inches. Also, they don't mention how they finish off the center of the skirt. You'll notice that the edges where the strips are glued aren't all that attractive. Plus, the last strip is unlikely to be even. Mine was quite oval compared to the cut in the canvas. I ended up using a four inch strip of fabric. I left a two inch overhang off the top, and glued it so it looked about even. Then I folded the overhang under and glued it to the underside. It's a lovely clean top.
It took forever, by the way. It took me at least three hours (not at once) to cut the fabric. Then three evenings of hot-gluing. Working with a second person cuts the time a lot. Together, Mandy and I got most of her skirt done in one evening. If you were interested enough to invest the time, the finished product is well worth it. Cost is reasonable too. I'm only counting fabric because I had everything else. I had a 40% off coupon to Joann, so the linen was $25. The drop cloth was $5. So, a $30 tree skirt. I wouldn't have paid that much for any skirt I've seen in a store. But I'm pretty sure to buy this skirt made would be over $100. It'd have to be for all the time involved. Actually, $100 would be really cheap. But yeah, I wouldn't have paid for it.
 |
| And now a picture of my cat, Euler. |
Friday, December 2, 2011
Well, hello. Again
I've had two requests for a blog from two new people who didn't know that this place existed. Being an accommodating person, I decided to hop back.
I might like to focus on something here. Change directions. Or maybe find one. But alas, I'll just end up back in the center going off in many directions again. Like spokes on a bike wheel. It's a nice analogy, right? The spokes and different directions are what make it stable.
. . . . .
But wow, two years have gone by without a word from me. I've started a few posts in that time, but I always change my mind for some reason.
This place has been semi-anonymous for me in the past. Very few readers. Hi Scott, Alana, Oscar, and that strange Russian data mining site. I was more comfortable being too emotionally open. I don't want this to be a diary anymore. That said, I don't want to move to a new place. I did create a blog under a different e-mail address. It was going to be my new place. It was going to be for and about Oscar and me. It was going to be less emotional. A place to keep family and friends updated in a narrative way. But I can't seem to leave "carmingular." I've had her for ten years now. I'll write a post about her in the near future. It's a cute story.
'Sup?
There's kind of a lot I can write about. I have a lot of interests these days, what with the internet and all. So here's a briefish rundown.
I started running two years ago. There are a surprising number of things that can be said about putting one foot in front of the other quickly and over long distances. Some runs are stupid hard and shitty. Some, like yesterday's glorious 4.5 miles in sunny, mid-40˚ weather, are literally* the reason I run.
I make stuff. Last night, I made two envelope style pillow covers for our couch. They're the first thing I've machine sewn since the hand puppet in sixth grade Home Arts. I used to make prints, but it's been two years since I've done that. I will do it again, but I'm on hiatus.
I am a media/pop culture/aesthetics glutton.
I am on the internet. A lot. This is where I find things to make. This is where I keep up with celebrity gossip. This is where I look things up. This is where I learn to cook. This is where half of my brain resides. I've read articles about kids from my generation and younger. They say we don't remember information, but we know where to find it. This is true. A fact.
I watch a lot of TV. Too much, probably. But this isn't about judgement. It just is. I watch Parks and Recreation, The Office, Grimm, Top Chef, The Daily Show, Biggest Loser. I also enjoy many old shows. Buffy, Seinfeld, The Wonder Years. I used to love Sex and the City, but the movie sequel was so bad that I've lost my taste for it.
I don't know how, but I tend to know about design trends. I couldn't make the trends, but I recognize them and tend to think they hang on too long. This is an overwhelming thing for me. I like design and tend to have good taste, but have a very difficult time doing anything with this love and taste. Be prepared for this topic. It will be twisted. I have strong opinions and frankly, they are awesome.
Sex, Gender, Feminism, Making Babies etc.
This is sort of a branch off the media/pop culture topic. It's just such a big deal. I'm just so aware of sexism and feminism and all the internal conflicts of the two. It's everywhere in pop culture. For instance, when I open spotify there's the cover of "Talk That Talk" by Rihanna. Why does she have to be in blow job pose? And I don't tend to see things that are questionably sexual. Like not everything that is taller than it is wide is automatically a penis. But this cover is so blatant. But then, isn't that Rihanna's power? Her sexuality. Is she being exploited for it, or is she just exploiting it? And if she's exploiting it, why is it so bad? She could be a savvy woman who knows how to get where she wants to be. But how sad is it that a lot of women still feel the need to exploit their sexuality to get ahead. And sometimes, I wonder if this is even an issue at all. Blah.
I almost forgot to expound upon making babies. I'm kind of obsessed right now. Fortunately, I'm just rational enough to keep it in my head and out of my uterus. But it's on the horizon, and therefore could easily come up and possibly be abused as a topic.
I have ADHD, Primarily Inattentive Type. This is new. I've always had mental and emotional health issues. I've been actively trying to sort them out for the last couple of years. Recently, I started seeing a psychiatrist because winters where just too hard. After a few rounds, she brought up ADHD and after some questions and discussion, it seemed like a good possibility. I'm very early in figuring this out, so it will probably come up a lot. It will also be kind of tough because mental health issues are so blurry and so open to criticism. Currently, I'm reading You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid, or Crazy?.** I can't say much more about this without making it a huge thing, so that's the summary. For now.
I'm working on mine and Oscar's family trees. I just want to make sure we're not cousins. Ha. It's amazing what the internet will tell you. And it's fascinating. Again, there's just so much to say about this, so I'll leave it for the future.
Anyway, that's the summary of my current interests.
* I love Parks and Recreation.
** When did we stop underlining book titles? They're always in italics or quotation marks, now. I'm a bit of a grammar nazi. Not that I won't italicize or quotation mark a book title.
I might like to focus on something here. Change directions. Or maybe find one. But alas, I'll just end up back in the center going off in many directions again. Like spokes on a bike wheel. It's a nice analogy, right? The spokes and different directions are what make it stable.
. . . . .
But wow, two years have gone by without a word from me. I've started a few posts in that time, but I always change my mind for some reason.
This place has been semi-anonymous for me in the past. Very few readers. Hi Scott, Alana, Oscar, and that strange Russian data mining site. I was more comfortable being too emotionally open. I don't want this to be a diary anymore. That said, I don't want to move to a new place. I did create a blog under a different e-mail address. It was going to be my new place. It was going to be for and about Oscar and me. It was going to be less emotional. A place to keep family and friends updated in a narrative way. But I can't seem to leave "carmingular." I've had her for ten years now. I'll write a post about her in the near future. It's a cute story.
'Sup?
There's kind of a lot I can write about. I have a lot of interests these days, what with the internet and all. So here's a briefish rundown.
I started running two years ago. There are a surprising number of things that can be said about putting one foot in front of the other quickly and over long distances. Some runs are stupid hard and shitty. Some, like yesterday's glorious 4.5 miles in sunny, mid-40˚ weather, are literally* the reason I run.
I make stuff. Last night, I made two envelope style pillow covers for our couch. They're the first thing I've machine sewn since the hand puppet in sixth grade Home Arts. I used to make prints, but it's been two years since I've done that. I will do it again, but I'm on hiatus.
I am a media/pop culture/aesthetics glutton.
I am on the internet. A lot. This is where I find things to make. This is where I keep up with celebrity gossip. This is where I look things up. This is where I learn to cook. This is where half of my brain resides. I've read articles about kids from my generation and younger. They say we don't remember information, but we know where to find it. This is true. A fact.
I watch a lot of TV. Too much, probably. But this isn't about judgement. It just is. I watch Parks and Recreation, The Office, Grimm, Top Chef, The Daily Show, Biggest Loser. I also enjoy many old shows. Buffy, Seinfeld, The Wonder Years. I used to love Sex and the City, but the movie sequel was so bad that I've lost my taste for it.
I don't know how, but I tend to know about design trends. I couldn't make the trends, but I recognize them and tend to think they hang on too long. This is an overwhelming thing for me. I like design and tend to have good taste, but have a very difficult time doing anything with this love and taste. Be prepared for this topic. It will be twisted. I have strong opinions and frankly, they are awesome.
Sex, Gender, Feminism, Making Babies etc.
This is sort of a branch off the media/pop culture topic. It's just such a big deal. I'm just so aware of sexism and feminism and all the internal conflicts of the two. It's everywhere in pop culture. For instance, when I open spotify there's the cover of "Talk That Talk" by Rihanna. Why does she have to be in blow job pose? And I don't tend to see things that are questionably sexual. Like not everything that is taller than it is wide is automatically a penis. But this cover is so blatant. But then, isn't that Rihanna's power? Her sexuality. Is she being exploited for it, or is she just exploiting it? And if she's exploiting it, why is it so bad? She could be a savvy woman who knows how to get where she wants to be. But how sad is it that a lot of women still feel the need to exploit their sexuality to get ahead. And sometimes, I wonder if this is even an issue at all. Blah.
I almost forgot to expound upon making babies. I'm kind of obsessed right now. Fortunately, I'm just rational enough to keep it in my head and out of my uterus. But it's on the horizon, and therefore could easily come up and possibly be abused as a topic.
I have ADHD, Primarily Inattentive Type. This is new. I've always had mental and emotional health issues. I've been actively trying to sort them out for the last couple of years. Recently, I started seeing a psychiatrist because winters where just too hard. After a few rounds, she brought up ADHD and after some questions and discussion, it seemed like a good possibility. I'm very early in figuring this out, so it will probably come up a lot. It will also be kind of tough because mental health issues are so blurry and so open to criticism. Currently, I'm reading You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid, or Crazy?.** I can't say much more about this without making it a huge thing, so that's the summary. For now.
I'm working on mine and Oscar's family trees. I just want to make sure we're not cousins. Ha. It's amazing what the internet will tell you. And it's fascinating. Again, there's just so much to say about this, so I'll leave it for the future.
Anyway, that's the summary of my current interests.
* I love Parks and Recreation.
** When did we stop underlining book titles? They're always in italics or quotation marks, now. I'm a bit of a grammar nazi. Not that I won't italicize or quotation mark a book title.
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